El Diablo - April 2019

EL DIABLO Voice of the Students

Spring Fever!

Durango High School Issue 5 Volume 68 April 2019

Contents

2

3 FEATURES

District-wide debate: Balloon Pop Game

8 SPORTS

12 OPINION The Green New Deal: Pros and Cons

Letter from the Editors

Dear Reader,

16 ARTS & LIT

Celebrating our sportswoman of the year: Maddie Jo Robbins

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Captain Marvel movie review!

20 LIFESTYLES

Teacher celebrity lookalikes!

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El Diablo

Voice of the students and official newspaper of Durango High School.

Head Editors: Emma Jaber, Caroline Knight, Haley Szczech Managing Editor: Saylor Stottlemyer Feature Head: Maddy Gleason Feature Editors: Irie Sentner, Grace Swanson Sports Head: Bryn Valdez Sports Editors: Bekah Moenning, Mo Murray Arts Head: Gwen Stoddard Arts Editors: Rush Webster Lifestyles Heads: Mia Boudreau, Chloe Ragsdale Photography Head: Cassandra Blau Photography Assistant: Hannah Wills Photography Editors: Joey Mynatt, Alyssa Robertson Online Head: Gillian Holmgren Reporters: Jack Whistler, Austin Swan, Lily Longan, Luke Swift, Georgia Mynatt, Sophia Adamski, Eva Adair, McKenzie Belt, Camirose Hatten-Walker, Layla Apodaca, Isaiah Downing, Ty Mathys, Corbin Miller, Jack Breezley, Stevi Cameron, Ben Ehrig, Emily Fiala, Kendall Floyd, Haleigh Harper, Jamie Hitti, Anthony Hernandez, Abbey Hunt, Todd Murray, Margaux Newby, Elena Parmenter, Natasha Potemkin, Havens Webster, Rush Webster, Leah Wesley, Mia Whistler

It’s hard to follow an issue like “Under the Microscope,” which challenged our staff to dig deep and ask serious questions.

El Diablo is grateful for the feedback we received, both positive and negative, about our coverage of Durango 9R Administration.

We will continue to report on issues that affect our education, and as always, we encourage you to write in and let us know what you think.

“Spring Fever” has double meaning, reflecting both the positive and negative aspects of this time of year. Spring is a time for reflecting, cleaning out the closet, and starting anew. As graduating seniors, we’ve spent most of this spring preparing for a change of scenery, but it’s also important to reflect on what we love about our lives right now, and our time at Durango High School.

Thank you for reading, Emma Jaber, Caroline Knight, & Haley Szczech

Cover art by Avery Wickes Backpage photos by Cassandra Blau Subscriptions... are $15 a year, please send a check and mailing address to El Diablo, 2390 Main Avenue, Durango CO 81301. Thank you for supporting scholastic journalism.

El Diablo is a public forum for public expression produced by the students of Durango High School’s newspaper class under the advisement of Todd Jolley. It is printed by the Durango Herald/Farmington Daily Times. The paper encourages letters to the editor but will not print unsigned or libelous letters; opinions stated are not necessarily those of the administration, staff, or school board.

DISCLAIMER: Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of Durango High School students or El Diablo Staff.

Mailing address: 2390 Main Avenue, Durango, Colorado 81301 Phone: 970-259-1630, ext. 2221 Fax: 970-250-3987 Email: eldiablodhs@gmail.com tjolley@durangoschools.org

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eldiablonews.com April 2019

Why I love DHS Principal Hoerl

Why do I love DHS? It is almost three years ago to the day my wife and I heard about this job opportunity in a place called Durango. She had never really lived outside of the Denver metro area and other than college, neither had I. We left at 5:00 in the morning and made the 6-hour drive to see if we would be interested in uprooting our family to a new location. Driving in, we spotted the important features. Home Depot, not 1, but 2 City Markets and a town that didn’t feel too big or small. We pulled up to the high school and walked through the doors and were greeted with the hustle and bustle that can happen here on the weekends.

I got to talk with students working on the set for the next play production of Troupe 1096, the girls’ lacrosse team playing Telluride, baseball playing Grand Junction, and girls’ tennis squaring off against Fruita. In each of the stops we made, students greeted us with smiles, answered our questions and gave us a great feeling of what DHS is about. It is a welcoming environment. On the drive home, we both knew this could be a great opportunity to work in an awesome school and a great place to raise our 4 kids. Three years later, this opportunity has not disappointed. Every morning I hold the door open to say good morning and I am greeted with smiles, good mornings, and an occasional scour of the student that just woke up, but they still say thank you. Why do I love DHS? Because we have the most incredible students in the state and for that, I am thankful.

P.S. Our staff is pretty awesome too!!

YOUR 2019-2020 STUDENT COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES EXECUTIVE CO-PRESIDENTS: Kaylan Wait and Miles Bronson EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: Lilah Hwang EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TREASURER: Laura Clark

CLASS OF 2020 CLASS OF 2021 PRESIDENT: Saylor Stottlemyer VICE PRESIDENT: Stevi Cameron SECRETARY & TREASURER: Andrew Saddler MEMBER: Corbin Miller

PRESIDENT: Ford Pitts VICE PRESIDENT: Tatym Bergl SECRETARY & TREASURER: Logan Stetler MEMBER: Zane Baumchen

CLASS OF 2022 CLASS OF 2023 PRESIDENT: Ellie Clark VICE PRESIDENT: Libby Chen SECRETARY & TREASURER: Sanae Green MEMBER: Lexy Behn

PRESIDENT: Zayda Mestas VICE PRESIDENT: Renic Vincent SECRETARY & TREASURER: Teagan Reese MEMBER: Barron Bronson, Della Patton

4 Features

MINUTE TO WIN IT

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Balloon popping game makes big bang in community “Personally, I

“I think the think the balloon game game was a small part in was a comical change of pace an assembly for a good cause. during the unified sports assembly.

“The majority of the It did come across as somewhat inapIt was to unify our students with assembly was inspiring and propriate, but that is what made it funny disabilities with other kids. We have awesome... The Durango Herald and exciting. Also the balloon game was played other games like bird on a perch and bachelor, so I don’t think spent little to no time investigating a very small part of a bigger assembly that recognized the Unified-Sports team it should have been such a big and made this a big deal. This makes and Maddie Jo Robbins. This assembly our hard-working student council and supported a good cause and the most deal. It could have been more our whole school look bad. No student appropriate if it was just hugmemorable part about it was the I talked to thought this game was rape Unified Basketball game. I forgot ging, but it was still in no way about the balloon game soon culture. The game was a little inappronormalizing rape culture. It after because it really wasn’t priate, but for the Herald to just call was simply a game.” a huge deal.” out all of DHS for ‘promoting rape -So. Savannah Berg-So. Aewden Hall culture’ is idiotic. Next time, man interview eyewitnesses of the events.”

- So. Sam Johnson

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eldiablonews.com April 2019 CHLOE RAGSDALE Lifestyle Head GRACE SWANSON Features Edutor A minute to win it game played at a March DHS assembly sparked controversy when the game was reported by the Durango Herald that “to some people, the activity was indicative of ‘normalizing’ rape culture.” This incident was the latest in a series of reporting on the school district from the Durango Herald that have generated considerable amounts of feedback and interest from the Durango community, including reporting on Superintendent Snowberger and his March interview with El Diablo.

Durango Herald reporter Mary Shinn wrote the article after she was approached by a concerned parent and student the morning of the assembly. The game included four senior girls and four senior boys who attempted to pop balloons in seemingly sexual ways by bouncing on each other’s laps, and it received mixed reactions, from horror to humor, from the audience.

“A high school student who contacted me was really upset, and I was very interested in quoting that person, but they didn’t want their name to be used and they didn’t want to be tied at all, and they just seemed so very upset that we didn’t think it was appropriate to quote that person,” said Shinn.

Many DHS students expressed concern over coverage of the event. “It was embarrassing, people recorded and posted it, they talked trash about the people involved,” said Sr. Kiara Valley, a student involved in the assembly game.

The Durango Herald also interviewed Sexual Assault Services Organization (SASO) Executive Director Maura Doherty Demko regarding the incident, who was disappointed to learn about the sexually suggestive nature of the game. SASO works with Durango High School regularly through their advisory and health programs, such as the annual health fair, to tackle issues such as consent in order to better inform and support students.

After reaching out to Demko, the Herald also featured an interview with a senior at Fort Lewis College who is highly informed about issues of consent and deemed the assembly game to be an example of supporting “rape culture”, which was chosen by an editor to be the sub-headline. No one from Durango High School, except for a concerned student, parent, and an apologetic email from Mr. Hoerl to students and families were included in the article.

Many students and teachers at DHS were frustrated that they weren’t able to give their side of the story. The Herald attempted to provide more perspectives, as Shinn communicated requests for comments through Julie Popp, the Public Information Officer for Durango administration, as policy demands they do, and the district conducted their own investigation.

Dean of Students at DHS and Student Council Advisor Dale Garland expressed regret for playing the game he assumed wouldn’t spark so much debate.

“It was a last minute decision. They (student council members) were more informed as opposed to developing the idea because of the timing…Obviously if I had to do it over again I would have done something to probably highlight the athletic nature of the springs sports teams…experience is your best teacher,” said Garland.

Garland admitted to his key role in instigating the balloon relay, as he solely initiated the game after he had watched a video on Youtube prior to the assembly, and had informed the other two student council members involved in the event the night before the assembly. The few other student council members who were aware of the game felt it was inappropriate to carry out such an activity, though the game persisted nonetheless.

“On two separate occasions I voiced to Mr. Garland that it was going to be taken

as an inappropriate game either by students or parents…there wasn’t anything else I could do so we went with it,” said Sr. Alyssa Robertson, Director of School Spirit for Student Council.

No student participating in the game or administrator was aware of the game before the assembly.

“I apologize for my lapse of judgement,” said Garland.

Even though Shinn had followed policy and contacted Popp, teachers such as Garland still wish they had received more information about the upcoming article before it was printed.

“I wish that the Herald article would have brought us into it before they published it,” said Garland.

Current So. and incoming Jr. Class President Ford Pitts also commented on how the public viewed this event, and related it to the Herald’s coverage of the assembly game.

“I think they are very subjective and obviously they try and push an agenda with who they favor and who they choose to interview, and the way that they focus on calling it ‘normalizing rape culture.’ They don’t reach out for the benefit of providing Durango and the school with news that isn’t subjective; I think there was a preformed opinion,” said Pitts. Pitts frustrations about the coverage of this event were shared by many at DHS. DHS Principal Jon Hoerl expressed his disappointment of the Durango Herald’s coverage of this situation, as they chose to focus on the unfortunate game rather than the real purpose of the assembly, which was to celebrate Unified Sports at DHS, end use of the “R” word slur against people with disabilities, and celebrate Spring Sports.

“The disappointing part for me is that we had an assembly that celebrated our inclusion and special needs students, we celebrated sportswoman of the year, and we had an unfortunate four minute activity that they (Durango Herald) took and ran with and it made some gross over exaggerations,” said Hoerl.

Along with their article, Durango Herald cartoonist Gary Markstein produced an editorial image of the Playboy bunny on top of the DHS logo, with the title “Balloon Pop Game” underlining the image.

Juniors Saylor Stottlemyer and Kaylan Wait were among those who expressed their concerns about the overreacted coverage of the assembly to the Herald, stating that this game was simply a mistake that most students found comedic, and that it does not represent Durango High School as a whole.

The Durango Herald wrote a follow up article after receiving more information from the district, focusing more on student perspective of the event, as well as the positivity surrounding the event before the game was played.

“We have taken appropriate actions to ensure that our pep rally activities are more in line with our vision,” said Julie Popp in a statement directly to the Herald.

An immediate change at DHS is that a lesson plan is provided for each assembly, clearly conveying the objective and agenda, that is sent to all staff members before every assembly.

Mr. Hoerl, along with many other students, believe that DHS is much more than what has been reported, and that we continue to focus on treating one another with respect, support, honesty, and pride as our Demon Way suggests, which is celebrated daily.

“I know that the people I hang out with, the activities I partake in, the administration… are all trying to produce a positive image even though we may have conflict.

So the way I interpret it is that our intentions are productive and positive, and letting someone else define who we are doesn’t have to be the way we deal with this conflict,” said Pitts.

6 Features

AP = CLASSES

eldiablonews.com April 2019

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COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS

HALEIGH HARPER Reporter

Community service is commonly viewed as something that is less than desirable.

Spending 5 hours serving food at Manna Soup Kitchen at 6:00 in the morning would not appeal to many students. Now, however, this worry will be mitigated for all DHS students enrolled in an AP class, which now grants students community service hours and college credits.

“Currently, all the seniors and the juniors all have to have 20 hours of community service in order to graduate. And that is pretty strictly defined as kind of what you would typically think of as community service, like helping out at a local organization or you know helping out with your church or something like that to do sort of good works for the community,” said Academic Advisor Robert Aspen.

But now, Durango High School is requiring the class of 2021 and below to complete 60 hours of community service hours in order to graduate. If they pass an Advanced Placement class, they can get some of those hours.

“It hasn’t been officially decided yet, but if you take an AP class we’re thinking of considering maybe giving you 40 hours of community service for that,” said Aspen.

If this happens, only one AP class passed would be 40 hours and if a student was to take more than one, the second wouldn’t go toward their hours, because the school still wants students to do community service.

“The discussion right now is maybe just one class. A lot of students take more than one AP class and they would never have to do community service so if you took one, than you would still have to do 20 hours like the juniors and seniors need to do. But again, that hasn’t been officially decided so I can’t say for sure that’s how it’s going to be. But that’s sort of the discussion now,” said Aspen.

Almost all students at DHS have taken or will take and pass an AP class in their

high school career. So why increase the hours if students will still do 20 hours of community service?

“Well, there’s definitely a push and encouragement at the high school for students to take AP classes. I of course support that since cause I teach an AP class. But also I do think it’s a really helpful experience to understand the rigor of what a college class will be like. As an incentive I can see where they’re coming from,” said Ann Tidwell, who teaches AP chemistry.

Taking AP classes isn’t the only other option for getting all of the required hours.

“It’s not only community service in the traditional sense, but it also an internship with an organization, gives you that exposure to the community, it’s if you’re employed somewhere, if you’re doing a concurrent enrolment class, showing that you’re going above and beyond what we normally require of students, and then finally an AP class is thrown in there, doing the same thing showing that you’re going above and beyond what we ask of students,” said Aspen.

AP classes come with much more of a workload to help students learn what college classes are like. “I know that the homework load for students who take a lot of AP classes, and usually there is a lot. Some classes don’t have a huge homework requirement and some do. So students who are in those heavy homework AP classes kind of do deserve to cut a little break. 60 is a lot of hours to require of anybody,” said Tidwell.

“I do support the change, adding 60 hours. I do like the idea there of broadening the definition of what can apply to that, more options,” said Aspen. Fairness is a question someone may have about why the school may be doing this. “It seems a little odd to me because it’s not serving the community in any way. But as long as there is still a requirement to do community service, which I think is very important.

Then, I guess I would be in support of it,” said Tidwell. Even though the school is broadening the definition of community service, students still have to do it.

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eldiablonews.com April 2019

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL Bigger issues come to light IRIE SENTNER Features Editor

ing low-income students that guarantee inequality in access to education. By this I mean everything from AP exam fees, concurrent course enrollment fees, concurrent book fees, summer school fees, private school fees, high school sports fees, club fees, In March of 2019, the largest college admissions fraud scandal in US history was application fees, summer camp fees, confirmation fees, housing fees, orientation blown wide open. Sensationalized by its exposure of celebrities, influencers, and the fees and every shade of the gradient from elementary school to PhD level education super-rich, Operation Varsity Blues (as it was dubbed by the FBI) hit close to home that slowly filter each one of us into opportunities that are specific to our financial for high school students across the country, especially those who are currently makstatus,” said Brush. ing post-secondary arrangements.

It is important to remember that Durango is fortunate in many aspects, offering The scandal is especially significant for students who applied (or are planning on opportunities that are lacking in other communities. applying) to highly selective schools.

“My aunt has worked at several schools as a college advisor in poor neighbor“Learning the news of the college admissions scandal, I felt cheated. How was it hoods in and around NYC, and she made the point that there is so much information fair that I had been working up to an acceptance from a top school for the better part and so many resources that only she has access to as a college advisor and that there of my academic career when some students were receiving acceptances not because are so many schools without college advisors, with plenty of qualified students, don’t of their work ethic, but because of their parents’ wealth and corruption?” said Sr. have access to these things that greatly increase chances of getting into college. I Luke Nicholson, who plans on attending Columbia University in the fall. think that is where we need to start if we really want to level the playing field for all However, the indicted universities, such as Yale and USC, are remaining quiet on high school students across the country,” said Bowers. the issue.

Perhaps most of all, the scandal will “Over spring break, I visited Yale, and there “Highly selective schools in the U.S. are placed on force us to face the level of importance really wasn’t any discussion about the scandal: the that our society places on prestige and the tours and information session seemed fairly typical, a pedestal -- most parents believe the only path to economically ‘elite’. and there weren’t any questions that pertained to selective schools in the U.S. are their child’s success is through an Ivy education. “Highly it,” said Jr. Rebecca Bowers. placed on a pedestal -- most parents beThus, the culture of academia has shifted from Kelli Brush, Academic Advisor for TRiO Talent lieve the only path to their child’s success Search -- a federally funded program focused on through an Ivy education. Thus, the one of becoming educated through hard work and isculture providing educational opportunity to students of of academia has shifted from one low-income or first-generation background -- bemotivation at any particular school to becoming of becoming educated through hard work lieves that the scandal will prompt an important motivation at any particular school to educated simply by having a ‘top name school’ on and dialogue within the realm of college admissions becoming educated simply by having a ‘top culture. name school’ on your diploma. In other your diploma.” -Luke Nicholson “I think this conversation will be good for words, students (or more realistically, their colleges who are already fair and offer need-blind parents) look for how a prestigious univeradmission and quality scholarships. It sets the standard that shady practices sity can help them succeed rather than how their own effort and determination can are not viewed well among the general public. But really, this is not a surprise; the get them there,” said Nicholson. mechanism by which these students were admitted to prestigious colleges is particuPerhaps Operation Varsity Blues serves to remind us that past rules concerning larly repulsive this time but we would find hundreds of other ways in which preferpost-secondary education are becoming outdated. ence has been given to students not based on merit,” said Brush.

“I’m uncomfortable with the fact that there are thousands of impressive colleges In fact, numerous strides have already been taken to ensure that elite institutions that offer outstanding educational environments, exposure to quality experiences, are inclusive and accepting of applicants from diverse backgrounds. and stellar academic leadership that none of us can even name, much less place “In my opinion, these institution have done a lot to try and make themselves acgeographically. We only dive deeper into a problem when the top students across cessible to those who are deserving to attend, one of which being the agreement that our nation are sensing that maybe their spot at Stanford was taken by a student who all the Ivy League schools have made to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need didn’t get a fair score on the SAT or whose parents just had an extra seventy-five for every accepted student, and giving that money in the form of grants, not loans. thousand dollars laying around. Prestige is not limited. Quality is not limited. Your That’s not to say that there are still so many barriers that students from poorer areas potential within this system is not limited and success is not a sum-zero game. If you face when applying, but at least on the part of the colleges and universities, applying get anything from this, it should be not to see the world as these parents did: where and attending has been made a lot more accessible,” said Bowers. their child succeeds only within one tiny, specific context. That is not reality,” said However, the scandal also serves as a reminder that many individuals still face Brush. systemic challenges within academia.

Brush and many others can attest to the unjust and corrupted system that handles “More concerning in my eyes is not the blatantly unethical practices among the college admissions. rich or the prestigious, but the hundreds of other seemingly innocuous obstacles fac-

8 Sports

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE

Photo Courtesy of Georgia Mynatt

GEORGIA MYNATT Reporter The lady Demon soccer team has welcomed a new face to the program, Jonathan Berzins. Berzins was named the head coach this past fall and has already made a significant impact on the teams success this season. Taking on a head coaching position is very challenging, however Berzins has made it look easy. The team has already won four pre-season games and with a new energy from the coaching staff, they are hungry for more victories.

Berzins lived in Phoenix prior to moving to Durango. He has played his entire life, including at South Mountain College in Arizona. He won the 2011-12 Arizona Division I State Championship at Highland High School, and also coached the Chandler-Gilbert Community College men’s and women’s soccer programs. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Berzins has been the director of soccer operations for the Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club since 2004.

“Soccer has been a part of my life forever. I’m extremely passionate about it. It taught me and got me to where I’m at now. I want to give that back and hopefully give that same catalyst to players and help them be successful,” said Berzins.

Berzins, his wife, and two kids moved to Durango in August of 2017. He took a position as the compliance coordinator at Fort Lewis and the high school coaching

eldiablonews.com April 2019

NEW

position was a pleasant surprise for him.

“When I found out their was a coaching position at the highschool I was very excited. I love coaching high school. It was the cherry on top to be a part of the community that I’m raising my kids in,” said Berzins.

Unfortunately, the lady demons did not fulfill their hopes of making it to the 2nd round of playoffs last year. They had an upsetting first playoff game, losing 11-0. After a discouraging season last year, the players were very happy to hear that Berzins was there new coach.

“I really like JB. When I first met him he was a little intimidating and serious but I think we really needed that for our team. We needed someone that was going to push us and take everything we do seriously. It’s obvious he knows what he’s doing.

Everyone on the team has mad respect for him just because of how intelligent he is,” said Sr. Charlotte Hale. Not only are the girls excited and ready for the season, but Berzins is too. He is extremely passionate about the game and loves sharing his knowledge with players.

Durango is unlike any town he has coached in before, so there were some things he had to get used to; one of the biggest things being the cold weather. For the first three weeks of the season, the team had to practice inside the gym due to snow on the field. Berzins didn’t let this affect the team and still has very high hopes for the season.

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eldiablonews.com April 2019 “The challenging thing about being new is learning how systems work. Coming from a major metropolitan city to a smaller community is hard. Coaching styles and how you run your program have to very. But I love the excitement and being able to run a program is a really cool thing to be a part of. I’m very excited for this season,” said Berzins.

The DHS is also set apart because of how close they are. Everyone knows each other very well and have been playing together since elementary school. With such a strong chemistry on and off the field, bringing an unfamiliar face to the program was a little challenging, but nothing the girls couldn’t handle.

“It was a little interesting at first just because we had no clue who JB was and didn’t really know anything about him. But we all warmed up to him pretty fast. I think he definitely stands out from most coaches I’ve had. He’s so dedicated to the sport and it shows when we play. He is hard on us, but in a good way. The season just started and I think were already 10x better than last year,” said So. Maddy McManus.

There is no doubt that the lady demons have a tremendous amount of talent on the team. The players have high expectations for the season and hope to achieve their personal goals. Nine players will be graduating this year, so the seniors want to leave everything they have on the field. Berzins hopes to give everyone a full and memorable experience.

“Because I’m new, I don’t really have a specific goal for this season. Success to me is getting better everyday. I just want us to learn, grow, and enjoy each other. For most of us, this is to the tail end of our careers so I want to make sure everyone can make memories that they will take with them throughout their lives,” said Berzins.

Being a new face in a tight knit community is very challenging and comes with a lot of pressure. It is not easy to please everyone and create relationships. However, Jonathan Berzins has done just that. The lady Demons soccer team is more than happy to have him leading their season and are excited to see what they can accomplish.

Colorado’s Sportswoman of the Year:

Maddie Jo Robbins STEVI CAMERON Reporter

Durango High School has seen many athletes pass through its halls and on to success in their athletic careers, and junior Maddie Jo Robbins is carrying on the legacy.

As a competitive athlete involved with multiple sports, she has just been selected as Colorado’s Sportswoman of the year for mountain biking.

This award is given out every year to female athletes all around Colorado by the Colorado Women’s Sports fund, meaning that there are women recognized for many different sports from cross-country running to volley ball to mountain biking. It can be given out for several different reasons, according to Robbins, and can be connected to major athletic accomplishments that year.

“My performance at a national level and international level influenced it and they also enjoy seeing hard work” said Robbins. Her hard work and sequence of accomplishments sent her from nationals race in West Virginia and then to the world competition held last fall in Switzerland. Robbins performed spectacularly at each of these events, placing 1st at nationals and 34th at Worlds.

Another requirement is being nominated, which was done by Robbin’s ski team coach Leah LeSage and athletic director Adam Bright, “She is helpful and supportive of her teammates… and with all of her travel she maintains an excellent GPA and I think she deserves some recognition for all of her hard work,” said LeSage. Robbins expressed her appreciation for being nominated and recognized at DHS despite the fact that the Mountain Bike team is not traditionally supported by DHS. This shows leaps and bounds made by our athletics department.

“I know she wears our colors proud whenever she’s out competing, so anytime we can represent one of our students, whether it’s through a CHSAA event or not we need to do it,” said Bright. He acknowledges her impressive way of competing and appreciates how she handled an injury to her wrist this year, which prevented her from participating in the ski races last season. Despite this barrier, it didn’t stop her from helping with the team in managing it, encouragement, and even a bit of coaching.

“To me she exemplifies who we want representing Durango High School,” said Bright. Her wrist injury was only one of many obstacles she faced this year, forcing Robbins to push herself even harder. However, this lead her to perform better than ever before. Her mother, Denise Robbins, witness this raw grit first hand.

“To me, her determination to succeed and strive to achieve her goals never wavered despite the many unexpected and challenging obstacles she faced in 2018. Through it all, she reached her goals and achieved great success,” said D. Robbin.

Setbacks in training with the 416 fire, injury, surgery, and tough training conditions didn’t stop M. Robbins from competing in and winning states and With all efforts combined, Maddie Jo travelled to Denver las month to accept the award. Speaking of inner tenacity, last month was national women’s month, creating a perfect opportunity to represent women in the state in such a neat way.

“Its cool that it shows that there are women out there who do amazing things and are great athletes and it shows just how far we’ve come as a society, like years ago women weren’t even allow to play high school sports,” said Robbins. Athletic legends and olympic competitor Lindsey Vonn was also awarded at the event and MiKaela Shiffrin was given the overall sportswoman award.

With such idols winning similar awards, this achievement is truly very special.

“I think the most inspiring part of the award and banquet is having my name on the same sheet of paper as those amazing role models,” said Robbins. M. Robbins is a perfect example of how, with hardwork and perseverance, you can achieve great things despite the adversity you may face. She herself has become a role model in Durango community and has especially brought athletic pride to DHS. “My husband, Jeff, and I are so proud of Maddie Jo and excited for her to win the 2018 Sportswomen of Colorado Award for mountain biking,” said D. Robbins.

Despite such magnitude of the award, Robbins is on track to following the legacies of such heroines and pursue the next level of athletic success.

“It was super inspiring to be amongst so many great female athletes and people that I look up to and what it gives me in the future is the confidence that I could one day be there too,” said Robbins.

10 Sports

eldiablonews.com April 2019

It’s a Match!

Johnny Bertrand named new head track coach MIA WHISTLER Reporter

“I love being surrounded by people who work hard every day to achieve similar goals and aspirations, and that is why I love track” said Sr. Anna Smagacz.

Smagacz has been running track since her freshman year and her love for the sport never ceases. Anna isn’t the only one who holds this love for the program: a familiar face on the track coaching staff, Johnny Bertrand, also shares this feeling. This year he has stepped up to take the challenge of being the head coach of the biggest sports program at DHS. “The last few years I have taken on a little more responsibilities each year and I guess being the Head Coach was the next step,” said Bertrand. Bertrand isn’t new to the DHS track program, but he is new to the responsibilities of being the head track coach, striving to be the best he can.

Meanwhile, Sr. Marcus Flint has had his run of track coaches at DHS, and shares similar virtues of a good track coach as Bertrand, “Someone who knows how to connect with their athletes but still acts like a coach, still maintaining authority, I feel like that is what makes a successful and good track coach” said Flint.

Bertrand has a history in track and field, running in high school and in college, and has experience being the sprints coach at DHS for a while. Although he was coming into the head position with a background in sprints and less in distance yet he didn’t let this affect his coaching style.

“I think that yes, in the past we’ve had a coach who is focused specifically on the distance team, but even though Johnny is more experienced in sprints he still works hard to make sure we are all improving and are performing as well as we can,” said Smagacz.

With that said, none of this slow Bertrand down, or the team for that matter, as they plan to reach their goals and find triumph in many different ways this season.

He has big plans and goals for the athletes this season, planning on winning each individual battle one step at a time.

“Track and field is unique in that you can lose a race but still win personally with a new personal best. It is awesome to see an athlete when they improve on their time, height or distance and to share that experience with them” said Bertrand.

Bertrand is determined to see his athletes improve and excel this season, creating an atmosphere where student-athletes can work hard while getting better and better every day.

“I would say that Johnny is pretty supportive and believes in all the athletes and

will help every one of us reach our goals, but he also keeps us in line and I think it creates the perfect balance,” said Smagacz. Yet, while Bertrand works to be victorious this season, he also works to be the best head coach he can possibly be, intent on making track a memorable experience, in a good way.

“Track coaches need to be able to make running fun. They need to be able to develop relationships with athletes so they want to come to practice. We don’t want any of our athletes to hate coming to practice,” said Bertrand.

Bertrand stands out against the previous track coaches in many significant ways.

Since his coaching style is different, the athletes look forward to a new type of season.

“What makes Johnny stand out among the past coaches is he isn’t also the cross country and I think that he is more experienced in track then cross country, which can cause the season to be successful for many athletes,” said Flint.

Everyone wants to be victorious in the things they do, and handling the massive team while trying to keeping track of the success of the team can seem like it would be difficult.

Yet, Bertrand believes that success can be measured in more than one way. “Obviously we are judged on how well the athletes perform but when the season is over I’ll look back and determine if our athletes are better people than when they started.

Did they show respect for each other? Kindness? Did they support each other? Was it a positive experience for them? If the answer is yes then I will consider it to be a successful season.”

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Familiar Face on the Tennis Team: Tarshis new girls’ head

Havens Webster Reporter

Spring is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts, and this spring there is a new face on the girls’ tennis team. This season, vice principal, Mr. Tarshis, has taken over the role of Girls’ Head Tennis Coach along with assistant coaches Sue Lawton and Dani Phillis.

Last year Dani Phyllis, Sue Lawton, and Vivian Edwards all acted as coaches, leading practice based on who was available. However this year, Edwards and Phillis have not been coaching as frequently due to unforeseen circumstances, so Tarshis stepped up to be a full time coach.“I was brought to Durango from Denver for this assistant principal job here at DHS,” said Darren Tarshis. Tarshis has worked at DHS for three years, and this year decided to fill the role of head tennis coach.

Tarshis has been playing tennis since he was in elementary school and he really enjoys it. He brings a new perspective to the tennis team and now has the opportunity to teach techniques and skills to the players.

“I wanted to become the new head coach because tennis is something I love and I wanted a way to get more involved with the school and students,” said Tarshis.

Tarshis hopes to give the tennis team new skills and help them succeed. One struggle for the tennis team this year Tarshis predicts will be the ability for players to balance schoolwork and practice on top of other commitments in their lives, which he hopes he can help with as a part of being a supportive coach. The main goal the team hopes to achieve this year is placing at regionals with all the players present and competing.

“I started coaching tennis 4 years ago when Weisfeldt decided to stop coaching.

Knowing that I am moving next year, it works out great to have Mr. Tarshis as the new head coach. He has taken the lead, making it possible for me to spend more time on things I need to focus on with a move in the near future,” said assistant coach Sue Lawton. Lawton first became a coach by default when Mr. Weisfeldt ended his coaching and he needed someone, she was available and has done an amazing job since then. She has been able to let Tarshis take the lead this year which has given her more free time to do other necessary things.

“He has a laid back approach and encourages consistency and positivity. He has created a longer warm-up that we do every day at practice and before a match that gives the essence of a strong team,” said Jr. Laura Clark about new coach Mr. Tarshis.Clark has been playing tennis since she was a child and joined the tennis team

Photo Courtesy of Emma Jaber

Sports 11 here during her sophomore year. Her goals for this season are to go to state again and play to the best of abilities. She noted that he has worked hard to improve all the players’ abilities and help get them grow as competitors, which will benefit the whole team.

“He has been an awesome head coach and asset to the team and I feel like personally, I have improved a lot from last season already,” said Jr. Anna Fenberg. Fenberg also joined the tennis team Sophomore year, and this year is her first time playing on varsity. She said being on varsity is more work but Tarshis has helped her a lot to improve and adjust to the abundance of games, traveling, and hard competition.

High school sports are a great way to get involved in your school and meet new people. Tashis has stepped up this year in getting involved with the students as being a tennis coach, tennis being one of the many fun sports offered here at DHS. This year the girls’ tennis team has set many goals for themselves that they will strive to achieve in all of their competitions this 2019 season.

Why We Should All Do Yoga

BEKAH MOENNING Sports Editor

I have recently come to the conclusion that our community should start spending a portion of their time regularly participating in yoga mindfulness activities considering the bountiful benefits it provides. To be honest with you guys, I don’t practice yoga on my own or in my free time (yet), but after learning more about it I realized I wanted to try to incorporate it into my schedule.

As high schoolers, the majority of us experience a certain amount of anxiety and often times, we struggle to cope with it or find strategies to calm our minds down.

The sole purpose of yoga is to train your mind and body to become aware of their nature and cultivate a higher consciousness as an individual. I feel like this is something we are all trying to learn on our own while we battle our own thoughts and emotions.

There are plenty of mindfulness activities out there and , but the unique thing about yoga is that it integrates every part of your body and connects it to your mind, striving to find a comforting sensation within yourself. Being mindful is about slowing down the traffic in your head, putting up the stop signs and stop lights if you will, and focus on the present thing ahead of you.

Mindfulness is also intentionally living with awareness in the present moment, not judging or rejecting the moment, and instead being fully attached. Yoga helps us experience this through movements of our body. We all want to reduce suffering and increase happiness, have control of our thoughts and experience reality as it is. To get you started, here is an example of what yoga entails as said by Nora Isaacs in her article, “Bring More Mindfulness Onto the Mat,” “You’re standing in Warrior Pose I. You actively reach through your back foot and allow your tailbone to descend away from your lower back as your arms reach up toward the ceiling. As you hold the pose you start to notice your front thigh burning, your shoulders holding tension, and your breath becoming labored. Still holding. Soon you get agitated and start to anticipate the joy you’ll feel when the pose is over.”

Now imagine this: You’re standing in Warrior Pose I, noticing the same sensations, having the same thoughts and feelings—anger, boredom, impatience, tension.

But instead of reacting, you simply observe your thoughts. You remember that this pose, like everything else in life, will eventually end. You remind yourself not to get caught up in your own storyline. And, in the midst of feeling irritated while your thighs burn, you appreciate the sweetness of the moment. You’ve just experienced the benefits of mindfulness—of bringing your awareness into the present moment, of noticing and accepting what is happening right now without judgment or reaction.

12 Opinion

“Rape culture” at DHS

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Singling out one event pushes an anti-DHS agenda EMMA JABER Head Editor Before I even start this article, I want to note the importance and gravity of acknowledging rape culture and the #metoo movement. Calling out the institutions and people that must be held accountable for the perpetuation of rape culture or normalizing the harmful misogyny in society is a crucial part of changing those structures. Without acknowledgment, we can’t change the behaviors, big or small, that continue to plague society. This being said, I don’t believe that the spring sports assembly held recently at DHS was a representation of rape culture. In my opinion, the Herald inaccurately claimed the normalization of rape culture. I believe the sensationalization of the minute-to-win it game at the Unified spring sports assembly is an example of poor journalism and one sidedness on behalf of the Herald, no matter how inappropriate the game may’ve been.

The article in the Durango Herald published on March 15th spoke to a few of the concerns raised by the assembly. If you haven’t read that article yet, I recommend you do so in order to understand the claims I’m making here. Understandably, the balloon game made many students and members of the community uncomfortable, which absolutely needs to be addressed. School assemblies should be a place of celebration and inclusion, which was absolutely the case before the balloon game incident. Now, I know the article was not talking about the highlights of the entire assembly and that the assembly as a whole wasn’t the focus, but I feel it necessary to look at the whole thing, especially because the Herald failed to do so. The majority of this assembly was a celebration of the upcoming spring sports season, the success of Maddie Jo Robins, and most prominently, the importance of inclusion and to End the R Word through the Unified basketball game. The inclusion obvious in the rest of the assembly proves that most of the administration at the school would not go out of their way to make students feel singled out or uncomfortable. School is not a place for displays of triggering behavior or inappropriate displays like this one, but

the largest issue I took with the ballon fiasco was the heteronormative nature of the game, not the normalization of rape culture as the Herald saw it. History has ingrained heteronormative behaviors into our day to day, but that doesn’t have to take place in schools and can be avoided with more appropriate, less gendered games.

There were so many more appropriate options to fill the five minutes the balloon game took up, and the choice to instigate the balloon game was a major oversight.

The largest part of the article that I took issue with was the lack of time in the turn around between event and article, and the one sidedness of the story. I found it extremely inappropriate that the article was published with a photo of the student athletes that participated without their knowledge, especially given the inappropriate nature of the game. Without knowledge of the photo being taken or published and the lack of comment from the school, this one sided display was pushing a seemingly anti-DHS agenda. Furthermore, the cartoon published shortly after the article showing the Playboy bunny in the DHS logo instead of the demon is another obviously anti-DHS symbol. This cartoon was uncalled for and juvenile, adding fuel to a fire that didn’t even need to be started in the first place.With no comment from the school or administration, putting the school and students on the spot directly afterward, the article came across as poorly researched and supported only with bias, including quotes from people not directly affected by the game.

In the Herald’s defense, it is absolutely important to address instances, even small ones of inappropriate behavior. And sometimes, the instances that we don’t take a second look at are the most common and most harmful. In the situation of the assembly game however, the sensationalization of the game was uncalled for. This is a learning experience for DHS and I see future school events being more thoroughly thought out to understand how they could be triggering or harmful for students. Although the article had negative repercussions on the school in the face of the media, it now will allow for a stronger awareness of inappropriate behaviors and how we can make more people feel safe at school.

Opinion 13

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Response to the Durango Herald:

CHLOE RAGSDALE AND JACK WHISTLER Lifestyles Editor and Reporter

The Durango Herald took issue with El Diablo’s March interview with Durango 9R Superintendent Dan Snowberger “Snowberger: The man, the scandal, and the future of DHS,” both in an email to us and a story published the week after the March issue was printed.

The Durango Herald’s former executive director, Amy Maestas, contacted El Diablo requesting a correction about the “categorically false” claims made throughout our article. This was three days before Maestas stepped down as executive director.

Maestas also claimed that there were “many journalistically unsound parts of the story,” though only identified one specific discrepancy regarding the time given to Mr. Snowberger to respond to a story regarding accusations of inconsistencies in his resume. The Herald’s concerns were later published in a March 24th article “Durango superintendent confronts controversies in student newspaper.”

Maestas specifically alleged that Snowberger’s assertion that he was given only four hours (while in the hospital with his injured wife) to respond to their request for an interview regarding a story on his resume was incorrect. The Herald claims that they gave Snowberger up to two days to respond before publishing the article.

In a statement provided to El Diablo, Mr. Snowberger stands by his claim, and notes that he was not available for interview requests while on family leave with his wife.

“Mr. Snowberger received a message at approximately 1:30 pm on December 9.

In that message, the reporter indicated that he had a 5:00 pm deadline on that day and needed a response. The reporter also sent an email with lengthy questions, also providing the document that appeared to be provided by anonymous sources to the Herald and was the subject of the article. Without receiving any contact from Snowberger, the article had been printed in the paper” stated Snowberger’s office.

Several comments on the Herald’s article insinuated that Mr. Snowberger took advantage of us to spread his side of the story. However, we approached Mr. Snowberger in order to provide balanced perspectives on recent controversies, as we felt the Herald’s coverage of Mr. Snowberger, much like their coverage of our March assembly, lacked balanced points of view. Critiques of the district’s leadership were included in our Editorial section. The Herald also took advantage of the fact that El Diablo is a student program and is not journalistically impeccable all the time.

This was contradicted by the fact that The Herald did not reach out to or give credit to the student journalists in their article. This fact was pointed out by The Herald’s readers in an online comment on the March 24th article and a Letter to Editor published in the paper. These comments also pointed out the immature nature of The Herald’s coverage on this topic and their exaggeration of an ultimately minor misunderstanding.

We regret not reaching out to the Herald for a statement, and should have noted that the time given for Mr. Snowberger to respond is disputed by both parties. El Diablo stands by our decision to report his comments, and even if the Herald gave him 48 hours, it does not detract from the fact that he was unable to respond due to his wife’s condition.

In addition, in the March issue we printed that we would post audio interviews with Mr. Snowberger and the School Board, however, this was unethical on our part as we did not inform the involved interviewees beforehand that this was the case, so we chose not to do so. At no point did an administrator attempt to censor our stories or prevent us from publishing audio of interviews. We will continually strive for and maintain high levels of journalistic integrity.

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL “Side door” highlights inequality in American education system

SOPHIA ADAMSKI Reporter The recent college admissions scandal, if nothing else, marks the absolute injustice present in the American education system. It also highlights the irresponsibility that falls on admissions officers and others involved in this situation. The scandal began to unfold on March 12, when federal prosecutors arrested 33 parents who are accused of paying millions of dollars in bribes to help their children get into some of the most prestigious colleges in the country. Several parents are high-profile figures, including actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giuliani.

At the core of this scheme is William Singer, a consultant who had worked as a college counselor for nearly 30 years. He constructed an entire effort to bribe coaches and test proctors to fabricate student’s qualifications and transcripts. He did this in order to help wealthy families secure places for their children at prestigious schools, where he boasted about his “side door” plot.

Singer theorized that college admissions used two major procedures. “Front door” methods entail law-abiding students applying to a university and hoping for the best, while “back door” applicants relied on their family to make significant donations to the university of choice in order to increase their chances of getting in.

The simple yet sinister “side door” plan combined “back door” contributions with faked athletic documents and inflated test scores. The “side door” process carried a guarantee, something the other two methods couldn’t.

Until federal agents caught wind of the operation earlier this year, Singer continuously recruited other academic coaches to carry out the “side door” plan and convinced parents that this was standard admissions procedure. When asked about the negative consequences of lying about test scores, Singer reassured a concerned parent that he had “...never seen it happen.”

Singer’s scheme is a prime example of classism in American society. It reinforces the idea that you don’t have to be qualified or entitled for an opportunity in order to receive it; rather, with enough funds and manipulation, anybody can secure a slot few actually deserve.

Similar to bail - a system in which you can pay to get out of jail with only a potential financial penalty - the college admissions scandal, like so many plots before it, prioritizes money and power over people and their genuine efforts. Any establishment that can be disrupted with enough funding deserves to be disrupted, stripped down to its core, and rebuilt.

The scandal, above all, reveals a deeply flawed education system, one in which Asian-American students were rejected from Harvard on the unfair basis of being held to higher standards in comparison to other applicants; one where a school in Louisiana falsified the transcripts of hundreds of black students to essentially sell to Ivy League universities that were desperate for diversity; one where seemingly enviable American schools are shown to be exploitable, greedy, and broken.

14 Opinion

eldiablonews.com April 2019 JACK BREEZLEY Reporter

The Green New Deal is not necessarily a bad idea. I’m all for protecting the environment, but the ways and goals that the Green New Deal outlines are absurd and unrealistic, so here’s why why the bill won’t work.

It is also important to note the bill is a bill, it hasn’t passed through Congress yet, so nothing currently has happened to the bill. As well as that, the bill is nonbinding which means if it passes through congress nothing could be done for years. The fact that its nonbinding lowers it on the list of laws to be implemented after it supposedly passes, so this limits some of the goals time wise the bill has aimed to achieve.

One of the first goals the bill aims to achieve is be a 100% clean energy in the USA within ten years. The first problem that arises with this is the time goal, ten years.

As said earlier, because the bill is nonbinding nothing could be done for years, only shortening or postponing goals. According to NPR, ten years is out of thought, even 30 years is very ambitious. On top of this, many energy issues arise.

The vast majority of cars and ground vehicles in the US rely on fossil fuels (petro

Electric cars are good ideas as well, but they have a measly range of 200 miles per charge, whereas the average gasoline car can travel about 400 miles. That means if you drove from Los Angeles to New York City it would take at least 13 charges.

Again, car companies could be hit extremely hard by a change to all electric cars.

Another vehicle related aspect that the bill proposes is extending high speed electric trains to all cities. According to Statista there are more than 19,500 cities in the US, only 3,000 of which have a population of 10,000 or more. This would mena extensive mappings and railines for travelers. Even the bullet train in Japan (Fastest Passenger Train in the World) goes 200 mile per hour. This means an LA to NYC train ride would take nearly 14 hours, where as a plane can do it in 6 hours.

Surely not every country in the world could afford all round rail transport, and for nations across oceans, plane is going to be faster than boat or train. So if you wanted to leave the country to head to London or Berlin or Paris, plane will be the fastest option. This is another flaw in the bill, as travel should be as fast as possible, not slower than it already is.

More problems with the bill don’t even have anything to do with the environment!

The bill outlines jobs for every American, yes every, and required paid vacations.

The Green New Deal: Better In Theory... leum and oil) so the transition for so many drivers would be a difficult one. Not to mention any car companies that don’t start to produce electric vehicles would soon go out of business or lose mass amounts of profit.

Assuming we transitioned from non renewable to renewable resources, would we still be able to get the energy we need to fuel an ever growing country? The answer, most likely not. Currently in the US we rely on 20% renewable resources (including nuclear)(EIA). This includes hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. However, many of these wouldn’t make the cut in the future.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that wind, solar, and geothermal would not be enough to support us, and would cost taxpayers unreasonable amounts. Only biomass, nuclear, and hydro are economically reasonable and can create enough energy for an 100% clean environment. Even still, nuclear is still debated as being a safe source of energy, and dams (hydro) block rivers and destroy river ecosystems.

Again, saving the environment is a great idea, but going 100% clean energy in 30 years (the soonest possible[NPR]) would take a toll on our economy and workforce.

Thousands would lose their jobs, specifically coal miners, factory workers, car manufacturers, ect.

Now for many small family owned business, paid vacations would take a toll on them and drive them out of business. And for jobs for all, 206 million, where do you find that many jobs? Many of the 206 million aren’t currently working, and for and ever growing workforce, how can you ensure that every citizen gets a job?

High quality free healthcare for all is another proposal outlined by the bill. Now not a bad idea, this would come straight from the taxpayers (us) wallets, and that would be a hefty price. In total, NPR says it could cost 7 trillion dollars.

With all of this, there isn’t even a chance it could get passed through congress.

Some argue it is not bipartisan enough, that healthcare for all isn’t something all senators want. Also plenty of citizens may not want this bill to be passed either, as they may not support it or would be hurt by some of the proposals.

The final conflict with the Green New Deal is the cost. Although tough to estimate, multiple sources including Statista, NPR, and The Washington Post place bets it could be between 53 and 93 trillion dollars. Wow! Although some of the Green New Deals ideas are good, there are countless flaws in the bill. Many of these topics should be tackled on their own, not as one big bill.

Because of this and the reasons outlined, I hope and you should hope the bill does not get passed, as millions of Americans, maybe even us will be affected.

Opinion 15

eldiablonews.com April 2019

OR necessary for a safe environment?

GILLIAN HOLMGREN Head Online Editor

Climate change has kept most of the world on the edge of their seats, creating abnormal weather patterns, eliciting strange animal behavior, and forcing smaller coastlines. It seems undeniable, right? Unfortunately not, as people still find ways to say “there’s no such thing as global warming!” to which you’ll hear a growing sea of people shout back “it’s called ‘climate change’!”

The polar ice caps have been melting at an increasingly alarming rate. According to NASA’s climate change page, where they’ve recorded the ice caps in their summer months when they annually reach their “minimum” before the winter cold builds it up again, the size of the ice caps from 1979 to 2018 went from about 6.5 million km² to a measly 4.1 million km² with a scary dip in 2012 at 2.8 million km². Why is this happening?

Because of the “greenhouse effect,” which is essentially saying that the earth is a giant greenhouse that is covered in a nice warm coating called the atmosphere.

It draws in the heat from the sun and cools it to a livable temperature for our very flammable and easily overheated bodies. It helps keep this life saving heat close to earth’s surface so that we don’t freeze to death in space’s icy cold wasteland. Great, right? Humans don’t freeze OR burn to death, thanks to our nice earth blanket. And how do we repay it?

We pump it full of smoke and gas from cars and factories and other everyday commodities we’ve grown so fond of. These gases can’t be broken down chemically or physically and they get trapped right inside the atmosphere. Since the atmosphere is all backed up, it can’t regulate heat properly, trapping it inside, making it too hot, like a greenhouse. The planet thrived at exactly the right conditions for billions of years, creating life from basically nothing, providing food and resources for its patrons to not only survive, but to thrive. And let’s face it, no one likes change, especially something that’s done it the same way for as long as Earth has. Hence, all the horrible effects of climate change.

The ice caps melting is not the only terrifying impact on the sea, though. The coral all over the world is experiencing a mass bleaching which happens when coral turns a bright white. It occurs when the water becomes too warm for its liking and it expels the algae living on it, causing it to starve. In 2005, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the U.S. Department of Commerce (NOAA), there was a mass bleaching resulting in the death of half its coral reefs, when looked at through a thermal recorder, it showed a greater increase in the temperature than the last twenty years combined. National Geographic reporter Lauren E. James explains that thirty percent of the Great Barrier Reef died due to bleaching in 2016 and another twenty percent in 2017 resulting in it, too, losing half its coral population.

Healthy coral, says NOAA, is responsible for managing twenty five percent of the ocean’s fish as they eat off of it, hunt, mate, find shelter, and raise their guppies within its ecosystem. If coral dies out, 25% of the fish population will be homeless, starving, and too scared or hunted too much to reproduce. 25% of fish will die with its coral. Then its predators will go too, and their predators and so on, all the way to the sharks who will live forever, as they outlived many others.

So why should this matter to us land lovers? Nothing, that is if you have a leak proof, underground bunker with enough resources for you

and all your loved ones. If the small fish go, islanders and residents of coastal towns who depend on them for jobs and food will have neither. They’ll starve or move inland. There will be less and less resources to go around. Clean drinking water is already dwindling. The lack of rain and water is drying up crops, rivers, lakes, ect.

Little resources mean people will start making rash decisions.

The impending apocalypse. Not one caused by aliens or zombies or nuclear weapons (although that might take us out, too) but one created from pure ignorance and narcissism. We have to change or we’re looking down a path of destruction, turmoil, war, and death.

The Green New Deal can be that change. Proposed by many green party candidates over the years, and is now being pushed and publicized by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, it claims to drastically improve the economy while converting the old economy into a “new, sustainable economy that is environmentally sound, economically viable and socially responsible,” says Green Party Us. They plan on enacting an emergency reworking of the country in order to fix the effects of climate change over the years. This involves transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030, and investing in public transit, sustainable (regenerative) agriculture, conservation and restoration of critical infrastructure, including ecosystems, and in doing so, creating 20 million new jobs based off of these changes.

By removing non-clean energy (natural gas, biomass, nuclear power and “clean coal”), along with the resources and funds that go into them, the state of the atmosphere will greatly improve. By reworking the system to be in favor of the earth rather than against, jobs will be created, communities will thrive, the taxpayers’ dollar will go to something worth wild. Since oil won’t be a concern anymore, the millions of dollars fed into the military for protecting it can be transferred into building a clean powered society. They also plan on providing anyone who loses their job due to the changes wages until they can get new jobs in this updated way of life.

They want to implement a plan based on a community, worker and public ownership, and democratic control of energy systems, “rather than maximizing profits for energy corporations, banks and hedge funds”.

There are flaws in their system, it’s true, but it could be a huge, monumental step in the right direction. It’s the first step we need to take in order to survive the next few hundred years, as well as avoid the apocalypse that could be the demise of the human race.

16 Arts & Lit

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Queer Eye for every girl and guy CHLOE RAGSDALE Lifestyles Editor

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy began in 2003 in the United States and was a monumental television show that not only benefited the lives of the many contestants and viewers, but also paved the way for LGBTQ acceptance and pride across the world.

The original TV show, which focused on the same five categories as it’s spiced-up rendition, was an unexpected and brave addition to television across the world. Five gay men would introduce themselves into a struggling straight man’s life, and, as the title suggests, completely reinvent their physical, emotional, and mental outlook on life, an attribute that has remained the same today with the new Fab Five.

Queer Eye, the reboot of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, focuses on all the fundamental ideas in the original show, bringing self love, confidence, and a more driven and flamboyant way of life to all viewers.

However, instead of diving in the streets of New York City as the Fab Five did on the original show, the newest stars of Queer Eye tackle the deep south, with seasons one and two filmed in Atlanta, Georgia and other neighboring towns, and season three filmed in Kansas City, Missouri.

This fearlessness exhibited by not just the original cast, who faced a world not quite as accepting to the LGBTQ community as we are now, but by the new cast is unparalleled, especially as they delve into southern states where homosexuality is generally far less accepted than in other areas of the US. This is only one of the notable qualities of Queer Eye, as the stars themselves are bravely and unapologetically themselves, a lesson that is especially critical to every high school student, girls and boys, who struggle with a lost sense of identity and confidence on a daily basis.

One of the five aspects of reinventing these men’s lives that is focused on in both the original and improved show is fashion, the seemingly fundamental building block of revamping one’s self and owning your individuality. This role, originally filled by Carson Kressley, is now held by Tan France, a fabulous Pakistani man from England, who’s idea of self love and confidence is symbolized through fashion, which inspires viewers to make them the best version of themselves through his stylistic tips.

A massive advocate for self love through self care is Jonathan Van Ness, who replaces Kyan Douglas in Queer Eye as the primary grooming expert.

“How you take care of yourself is how the world sees you. It’s okay to have a relationship with yourself,” says Jonathan, stressing the importance of loving yourself in order to become a successful and powerful force in your world.

The exterior of one’s self in not the only thing being remade by the Fab Five: Bobby Berk, a man raised by highly religious parents in an extremely homophobic setting in Missouri, replaces the famed Thom Filicia in completely renovating and improving people’s homes. His transformations are stunning and contribute to the contestants’ ability to live a freer, more comfortable, and more convenient life, while also giving tips and ideas to all those watching about how to make their homes more lively and enjoyable.

Within these newly improved homes comes Antoni Porowski, replacing the highly celebrated Ted Allen as the culinary force in Queer Eye. His fantastic approach to cooking and nutrition not only improves the health of the contestants on the show, but also gives them more freedom and creativity that stems from the kitchen and blooms into their daily lives.

Perhaps the most powerful role in both the original and redone show is of the “culture vulture”, where Jai Rodriguez in Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Karamo Brown in Queer Eye reboot use their positivity and uplifting ideas of life to bring true happiness to their contestants and viewers.

They not only help others to tackle their personal obstacles, but also tackle societal pressures and norms.

“He needs to understand that being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength,” says Karamo Brown, contributing to the need of self love and care in a successful life, while also tackling the idea of fragile masculinity that seems to be the root of countless issues across the globe on personal and political levels.

The Fab Five’s ability to show love and compassion for not only those around them, but more importantly to themselves, is inspiring to those who witness it and allows them to see the possibility of howt true confidence and individuality can benefit one’s life. Their personal stories and the obstacles that they have overcome also contribute to the inspiring aura of the show, as their ultimate struggles and goals are to be themselves, because a life is not worth living unless you are undeniably you.

Queer Eye should be a universally watched and celebrated television show, as it breaks social and cultural barriers in a world that is seemingly unforgiving and indifferent to the beauty of individuality. It promotes an apparent forgotten act of self love and care that is an undeniable attribute to success, warmth, and happiness.

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Arts & Lit 17

18 Arts & Lit

eldiablonews.com April 2019

HIGHER. FURTHER. FASTER.

Captain Marvel: Not Just a Superhero Movie CORBIN MILLER Reporter The empowerment of women in America has reached new heights in 2019. From the diverse group of women recently elected to Congress, to the increasing amount of women working in STEM fields, to the Oscars recognizing the work of strong female leaders in acting and the cinematic world.

Joining the ranks of female excellence, Marvel studios Captain Marvel features Marvel’s first female lead superhero, joining the MCU alongside their numerous other iconic superhero movies.

Captain Marvel follows the story of Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) - played by Brie Larson - on her journey of self-discovery, and in her realization of both her conflicted past and the boundless strength, power, and confidence borne of the adversity that she endured.; embodying Girl Power and Women Empowerment.

Following the currently growing trend of female representation and the recognition of female excellence and power, Captain Marvel’s release during Women’s History Month on International Women’s Day served as a special gift to women everywhere, celebrating a shared sense of newfound pride and power.

The portrayal of Captain Marvel as one of the most powerful heros to grace the big screen is a victory for women everywhere who have found in Carol Danvers both positive representation and a good role model.

Out of the 21 MCU Marvel Studio Movies, Rotten Tomatoes ranked the movie 14th best, with an overall rating of 80%. Opening weekend the movie made $153 Million, ranking #2 in Female-Led Hero Movies, between Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Hunger Games. Captain Marvel also ranked third in highest opening sales ever in the month of March.

Captain Marvel not only is affecting the MCU by being the first female lead movie, but through its plot as well by revealing answers to many questions that have plagued the minds of Marvel fans since the birth of the MCU, along with divulging the greater significance of such references as the tesseract and expanding the boundaries of the Marvel Universe further into space and entirely new worlds. The movie brings up a great question, what is next for Marvel?

Captain Marvel has built great anticipation for Avengers: Endgame and reinvigorated its passionate, expencant audience and has confirmed that Captain Marvel/ Carol Danvers will be playing a significant role in the upcoming Avengers movie, releasing April 26, 2019.

The story, taking place in the 1990’s, fits differently into the MCU timeline by jumping back a couple decades and providing more background knowledge, laying the foundations for MCU movies further on.

The year that the movie takes place plays a significant role in the feminist ideals of female empowerment that Captain Marvel exemplifies. As Carol Danvers discovers her obscure early life as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, she recalls her past struggles with being one of only two female pilots permitted to serve in a profession dominated by male pilots. Despite the misogyny that she faces and the constant onslaught of being told she will never be good enough, she finds a way to excel nonetheless and fly higher than anyone could have predicted, ultimately overcoming the demining environment surrounding her.

Captain Marvel further develops the idea of overcoming one’s struggles by illustrating multiple life battles that she has encountered, both those she remembers and has forgotten, to show not only how Carol Danvers kept getting back up on her feet no matter what she encountered, but representing the ongoing fight that women have gone through with achieving equality and not giving up, no matter how many times they are pushed down. Carol Danvers further represents the fact that her powers are not the only thing that makes her special and a hero, because she was a fighter long before she had the-constant judgement and belittlement throughout her life, representing how she was constantly misjudged and seen as inferior despite her persistent strength.

Following past trends of the Marvel movie Black Panther and its #BlackPantherChallenge, Frederick Joseph, the creator of the #BlackPantherChallenge, also implemented a #CaptainMarvelChallenge that inspired a GoFundMe page to raise money to help underprivileged girls go to the movie, to experience firsthand, not only the superpowers of Carol Danvers, but the representative empowerment of women. Brie Larson has been an active part in this campaign. In the past two months, the campaign has raised over $63,000 and climbing.

Having a female director, Anna Boden (along with male co-director Ryan Fleck), was crucial to the development of Captain Marvel as it created a lens through which the audience could view the movie through the eyes of the demographic being represented. Boden took away standards that female movie characters usually face in films. She eliminated the over sexualization of women, an all too common theme in many movies in Hollywood, and the lack of a romantic subplot for Carol Danvers helped keep attention on over lying ideology of the movie. Boden was able to break boundaries and create a more realistic depiction of women views.

Captain Marvel is a must see movie. Not only does its plot development, comedy, action, and introduction of new superpowers make Captain Marvel stand out, but it’s address to today’s and history’s strong women who never stop fighting, and always find a way to get back up on their feet, is showing the power that women possess.

Arts & Lit 19

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Endgame: the end of an era

LUKE SWIFT Reporter “The hardest choices require the strongest wills,” said Thanos. And soon many Marvel fans will be asking themselves if their will is the strong enough as many of Marvel’s original characters and stories come to an end and new characters attempt to replace the considerable holes left in the hearts of Marvel’s most dedicated followers.

Just last year, the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) marked the ten year anniversary of it’s first film, Iron Man, while also finishing their last set of films for phase 3. As the last installation of this phase, Avengers Endgame, approaches, fans have found themselves wondering what’s next. Well, my fellow Marvel addicts, I may be able to offer you some solace in the announcement of six confirmed films coming within the next five years.

Spider-Man: Far from Home: July 5th, 2019 Following the storyline of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home is the first installation of the MCU’s Phase 4, giving fans a taste of what the future holds for their favorite characters. From what we have seen so far, in the film, Peter Parker is sent on a school trip across Europe when he encounters new menaces including Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio. Peter Parker arises from the ashes of Thanos’ snap and comes to a theater near you on July 5th, 2019.

Black Widow: No confirmed release date After the introduction of Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) in Iron Man 2 in 2010 and her fantastic character development throughout the numerous Avengers movies, the fans have been craving a standalone Black Widow film. The fans asked and the creators finally have responded with a confirmed movie directed by widely revered director Cate Shortland. Although the crew has started filming and a director has been recruited, there is no confirmed date for when the movie is set to be released.

Black Panther 2: Rumored to be released February 12th, 2021 With Marvel’s explosive debut of Black Panther in early 2018, it was obvious that Disney would confirm future productions surrounding the character after it’s $1.344 billion box office earnings. There has been little speculation as to what the film will

focus on, considering the fact that King T’challa was turned to dust in Avengers Infinity War, but writer and director Ryan Coogler is set to return and bring our Wakandan patriotism back to life.

Doctor Strange 2: May 2021 After the release of Doctor Strange in 2016 and its significant end credits scene in which Baron Mordo vowed to rid the world of all sorcerers, many assumed that it was a guarantee that Marvel would give us a sequel. With Scott Derrickson at the helm, fans are excited to see what’s next for their new favorite wizard.

The Eternals: Possibly November 6th, 2020 Possibly the most anticipated future film for the MCU, The Eternals is going to focus on an ancient alien race of borne of science experiments conducted by the supreme celestial beings who were initially introduced by Benicio Del Toro’s The Collector in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). The world of the Eternals is filled with limitless possibilities for future storylines, leaving fans with little to expect and everything to look forward to. Once again Marvel Studios has left us wondering as there is no confirmed information as to how the filmmakers will tackle this extensive project.

Shang-Chi: No confirmed release date As the first break out role for an Asian American lead in the MCU, the studio has been looking to bring the character to life after their huge success with Black Panther, which featured an African American lead role and cast. There is no expected plot line for the film. In the comics, however, Shang-Chi is an unparalleled Kung Fu master who has joined forces with many well- known justice groups in the comics, including the Avengers, in order to ward off the evil that his father instilled in him from a young age.

Even though our favorite stories and characters are coming to an end, we can all look optimistically to the future of the MCU and how it plans to replace the characters and storylines that we all have come to love and admire so much. In the wise words of Peggy Carter, “The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do, is to start over.”

20 Lifestyles

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Aries (21 March - 20 April): With the snow melted and summer approaching, you’ll probably find yourself overcome with a swell of new ideas and emotions. Your first instinct is most likely to act on these sensations without much forethought. Using this spring as an opportunity to take more consideration into your thoughts and actions will leave you and others in your life feeling balanced.

Taurus (21 April - 20 May): It may be the case that, more so than others, you’re prone to falling into ruts. This may feel safe and secure, but, in the long run, it only serves to stunt your personal growth and prevent you from experiencing new ideas. Using this spring to channel your energy into seeking out different hobbies, relationships, and goals will prove challenging, but ultimately worth it.

Gemini (21 May - 21 June): Your flexible, easy-going nature is incredibly apparent up front; however, the coldness of winter has probably left you feeling tense, snappy, and distant. Taking time to capture and ground your carefree emotions will take discipline and work, but this task isn’t without a worthy goal.

Expect to feel stronger emotionally and for your connections with others to feel renewed.

Cancer (22 June - 22 July): This month may bring sharper focus and easier decisions, but it would be in your best interest to take consideration into every step you make. Rushing headfirst into the first new prospect you lay eyes on will inevitably leave you stressed and overwhelmed. Use your intuitive nature to discover what it is you want most from life and pursue it endlessly.

Leo (23 July - 23 August): Excited by warmer weather, you may feel an incredible desire to throw yourself into as many projects as possible.

Be advised, however, that this could lead either to success or failure. Use this season to carefully consider what you, and you alone, would like to make of yourself. Biting off more than you can chew is a surefire way to highlight some of the more negative sides of your personality.

Virgo (24 August - 23 September): This season is sure to be interesting for you. Perhaps the biggest challenge that awaits you is how you deal with partnerships and teamwork.

You’re naturally closed-off, and opening up to others --whether for the purposes of a project or the growth of a potential relationship-might seem like a daunting task.

Your perseverance and get-it-done attitude will help you carry through.

Libra (24 September - 23 October): Notoriously indecisive yet kind-hearted, you’ll be quick to notice yourself feeling more grounded this season.

This change won’t come at all once, but it’s still present in little ways.

Being firm in your thought patterns and speech won’t come off as rude.

Those closest to you will feel your strength and decisiveness. Use this to your advantage, and be conscious and how every choice impacts you.

Scorpio (24 October - 22 November): Chasing a new, exciting, perhaps unstable relationship or chance may seem like fun, but it may lead to dire consequences.

Be mindful of what you decide to pursue. Taking time to slow down, consider your next steps, and go from there may seem foreign, but this will end up highlighting your drive and passion.

Capricorn (22 December - 20 January): You may have had difficulty in pinning down who you are. A surge of emotions, many unfamiliar, have been swirling inside you. If you’re unsure of how to deal with these emotions, it may be time to find an outlet. Even jotting down a few words that describe your feelings or relying on a friend may lessen some of the pressure within you.

Aquarius (21 January - 18 February): Impossibly imaginative and curious, you may often be hard to reach, even to yourself. Taking time to daydream and explore possibilities within life isn’t a negative quality by any stretch, but it’s likely that the people closest to you have been feeling shut out and distant. Take extra time this spring to remind your friends and family of how much they mean to you.

Pisces (19 February - 20 March): Winter has thawed, and it’s likely you’re aching for some sort of stability. Your trustworthy tendencies may have you convinced that this dependability will become quickly and easily, but take caution. You may find that someone or something is ready to take advantage of your kindness. Sourcing strength from within yourself could very well a viable path in your future.

Sagittarius (23 November - 21 December): This month will exemplify your life-enhancing, spontaneous mood. You’re probably on a creativity kick of some sort, and you’re not keen to let this fizzle out. Be warned that your various quirks and charms may have started to cloud responsibilities and tasks. Finding that perfect balance between your passions and your life is sure to make this season one to remember.

SOPHIA ADAMSKI, Reporter

Lifestyles 21

eldiablonews.com April 2019

From the red carpet to the red sea: DHS teacher celebrity lookalikes

CHLOE RAGSDALE, Lifestyles Co-Head

Mrs. Appel (right) -- BEST

Jessica Lange (left)

-- American Horror Story series, King Kong

Mr. Maes (right)

-- ESS- ID Paraprofessional III

Gaten Matarazzo (left) -- Stranger Things series

Mr. Aspen (right)

Mrs. Bertrand (right)

Flula Borg (left)

Lisa kudrow (left)

Mrs. Barth (right)

Mr. Rusty Stover

-- 1th Grade Academic Advisor

-- Pitch Perfect 2

-- English teacher

Katie Holmes (left)

-- Batman Begins, Pieces of April

-- 10th Grade Academic Advisor

-- Friends series, Easy A

(right) -- Instructional Paraprofessional

Jason Statham (left)

-- The Meg, Fast and Furious series

Mr. Hoerl (right)

Mrs. Thormalen (right)

-- Principal

-- Math teacher

Bradley Cooper (left)

Kristen Wiig (left)

-- A Star is Born, Silver Linings Playbook

-- Gohstbusters, Bridesmaids

22 Lifestyles

eldiablonews.com April 2019

Humans of Durango

CHLOE RAGSDALE, Lifestyles Co-Head

“We have two sons, Ben and Nick. They went to a private school called Web in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, the older one did. He went with his girlfriend that he started dating when he turned sixteen, he turned sixteen, he got a car and he got a girlfriend. So he took her to the prom. Back in those days, they would go as a group so him and probably about five or six other couples went together and they had a really great time, instead of it just being date-date it as like group-date. And then the younger one went to a public high school that was in Cookeville, Tennessee, and there were about two thousand students, kind of like Durango High School, only I think Durango’s a bit nicer than that one. He went as a group, too. We can’t even remember their proms. That’s what happens when you get old, you’ll find out! It was more group dating back then, it was a lot more fun. It used to be like tuxedos and evening gowns and bootenairs and black ties. They’d wear flowers on their wrists. They looked like liberace. So last year he coached the football team, so he could probably tell you who the hot dates are for prom.”

“We went to a fancy hotel, it wasn’t that exciting. The dressing up was always fun. I had a strapless dress that was soft green from a New York City department store, fancy store, with ostrich feathers. That’s why I remember the dress.

It was gorgeous. I dont have the dress anymore, though.”

“I went to prom. I remember that we really got dressed up. We had dance cards.

Oh, I’m really old. So guys come and they say could I have this dance and they put their name on your thing. Mine was empty. That was in South Dakota. They were a little backwards in South Dakota.

I had a pink dotted swiss dress that my mom made me. Dotted swiss is a material that is real pink with little raised white dots and I spilled grape juice. The issue though was how narrow are your straps, like if you were really racy you had really tiny straps. Laramie, my daughter, went to school in Seattle and she was really a feminist and so they all went in a mob, all the guys, all the girls, they went in a group date, and they just had a blast.

And I was like, so you didn’t have to wait for anyone to ask you to dance?

And the only reason to put up with a boy who was a senior was so you’d get to go to prom in the spring, otherwise you didn’t go. It’s so much better, it’s like suzuki prom, everybody dances. Everybody should dance. The good looking girls always get picked first and the rest of us just stand there. Be sure you get out there. Make them do a ballroom dance with you. Jump in. Enjoy.”

“I went to several proms. They were great. Well, when you ask what was the prom like, it was at night. Most of the time I was going around during the day, so it was like, oh, this time I’m going out at night. Really, it was the first time I got dressed up. It was in the seventies, early seventies, late sixties, so rock and roll music was hot, I don’t think there were many people who knew where their shoes were by the second or third song.

I remember that somebody spiked the punch. That was a fun prom. Oh my.

This was the first one I ever went to, and that was at a girls school. So I was invited by a girl who went to that school, and that was a good start. I was a sophomore and got invited by a senior, but I was tall. The next one I went to was in a church, they didn’t have a gymnasium so I ended up going to the church. Both of them were really crazy, good times. I think the third one I was trying to find a ride home. I didn’t have a good date and I didnt have a good time. It was too bad.

My girlfriend lived in New Mexico and I was in New Jersey, so I was there pseudo-single, missing her, wishing she was in New Jersey instead of New Mexico.

But two out of three of them were really good. And it’s one of the things you’ll remember the rest of your life, like you just heard.”

LIfestyles 23

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eldiablonews.com April 2019

Spring is here, and so are the plants! As the outside world is blooming, take this time to invite nature into your home. Having plants indoors can boost both your health and happiness. Below are some of the best and most beneficial indoor plants.

Orchid

-- Flowering plant with large, flat leaves -- Improves sleep as it releases oxygen at night

Succulent

-- Each one is unique, cacti-like plants -- Improves sleep as it releases oxygen at night CAROLINE KNIGHT, Head Editor

Spider Plant

-- Wispy leaves, can grow smaller plants -- Reduces formaldehyde in the air

Peace Lily

-- Dark green leaves, white flowers -- Removes toxins from the air

Aloe

-- Spiney leaves/stalks, succulent-type -- Homeopathic and healing properties While specific plants can improve the health of you and your home, having plants around can improve your mental health as well. Scientific studies have found that plants can increase concentration and production levels substantially, potentially up to 15 %. Plants have also been known to decrease stress and anxiety, leading to a happier life.

MIA BOUDREAU, Lifestyles Co-Head

I like a boy who likes someone else (a lot). I don’t know what to do because he’s my friend, so I like talking to him, but at the same time talking to him sucks because I want him to like me! I don’t know what to do about it.

There actually isn’t that much you can do about it except be a little bit sad and then move on.

You could confess your feelings, but it sounds like if he likes her a lot you should definitely not do that. You could stop talking to him, but if this guy really is your friend then you have to decide if you’re willing to give that up (if you are, maybe he wasn’t that great anyway). I will tell you this: In middle school I went through a really intense Taylor Swift phase. Seriously, you can ask anyone who went to Miller Middle School and they’ll confirm it and it’ll be embarrassing for me. The reason I’m mentioning it is because there’s a song on her first album called Teardrops on my Guitar. The song is about your exact situation, and the teardrops are for a boy who loves someone else instead of Taylor Swift. It doesn’t have a happy ending, but Taylor had a happy ending, because now she’s very successful and rich and is dating Academy Award nominee Joe Alwyn and they are in love. My advice is to hang in there, it’ll probably get better.

I don’t have a date to prom this year but I want one, what should I do about it?

Ask someone. Like this:

Will Lammons, will you go to prom with me?

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